Global Treasures Humberstone & Santa Laura Chile

Abandoned mine settlements in the hot and dry pampas in the north of Chile
are silent witnesses of an important era of the country’s industrial
history. In the basins between the coastal cordilleras and high cordilleras
are the largest saltpetre fields in the world.

The industrial plants were called Oficinas and close to them originated small
towns such as Humberstone in which lived the workers and their
families. The workers were paid with coins that were only valid in the
saltpetre town in which they laboured.

Saltpetre was used for the manufacture of gunpowder and explosive substances
and later, also for fertiliser. Saltpetre was in much demand and the
industry boomed until 1940. It was then that saltpetre was manufactured
artificially. The towns were abandoned and fell into decay.

In 2005 Humberstone, together with Santa Laura, were appointed as World
Heritage Sites as examples of human settlements linked to industrial
complexes.

Oficina Humberstone and Oficina Santa Laura are the last abandoned mine
settlements of the desert region of northern Chile, relics of a bygone
industrial age that are well worth preserving.

Abandoned mine settlements in the hot and dry pampas in the north of Chile
are silent witnesses of an important era of the country’s industrial
history. In the basins between the coastal cordilleras and high cordilleras
are the largest saltpetre f

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